The Bulls' rookies are too skilled not to play a consistent role this season.

Maybe LeBron James was right. Maybe the Bulls are better than the Cavaliers as of now. While the Cavaliers have stumbled to a 1-2 start, the Bulls improved to 3-1 with a victory over the Magic.

Here are three observations:

It's time to stop with the "Tom Thibodeau doesn't play rookies" theme.

Yes, Thibodeau himself fanned the flames for this topic on Media Day when, in unsolicited fashion, he brought up how no championship team since the 1974-75 Warriors had two rookies in their rotation. And, yes, Nikola Mirotic's minutes likely will drop if and when the trio of Pau Gasol, Joakim Noah and Taj Gibson are up and fully running. But it's a good thing Thibodeau dropped a qualifier on Media Day as well that just because two rookies in a championship rotation hasn't happened in almost 40 years doesn't mean it can't.

This is for sure: Doug McDermott and Nikola Mirotic are skilled, dynamic players who will make mistakes but have a ton of skill. And the way Thibodeau used Omer Asik in his rookie season proves he'd play Benny the Bull if it helped him win games. McDermott and Mirotic will help the Bulls win some games this season. It's no wonder Noah and Derrick Rose have joined Thibodeau in consistently praising the first-year players. Thibodeau did so again postgame Tuesday.

Sprained ankles aren't a torn ACL or meniscus, and a conservative approach ultimately could pay dividends for a team hoping to play in June. But the Bulls are being so conservative...

“I keep saying it over and over about (Mirotic) and Doug; I love them both. You can’t do any more than they are doing. The thing that is great about them is they come in every day with a ton of energy and ready to concentrate and work and prepare themselves to play. When you couple that with their talent, good things will happen for them. They are still rookies with a lot to learn. If they have a good game, they’re eager to come in and do it again. If they have a tough game, they want to learn. Rarely do they make the same mistake twice. They are aggressive. They are attacking. I can’t say enough about them. It’s unusual to have rookies like that. They bring great energy to our practices. And they can play. Usually you like rookies a lot better when they can play."

Derrick Rose continues to be scrutinized, analyzed and polarizing with his health.

Usually, a decision to skip an early November game against a weak opponent that begins a stretch of four games in five nights is no big deal. But every health decision surrounding Rose continues to be a huge deal. That's what happens when only 10 games are played in two seasons because of knee injuries and surgeries.

Now, Rose is being held up to a hypercritical standard: Should he push through pain? After sitting for so long, does he owe it to his teammates -- and fans -- to play with lingering effects from two sprained ankles?

Rose and the Bulls are playing this season conservatively. Rose played through nagging injuries during the lockout season of 2011-12 and, after two major injuries, is more cautious now. So are the Bulls, who have limited his minutes during preseason and are trying to keep the big picture in mind. That has some fans accepting and others angry. This will be an ongoing story line all season.

He's lighter, has improved his footwork and mid-post game and continues to get to the free-throw line at an impressive rate. Who cares if he's not a prototypical shooting guard with an occasionally errant jumper? Twenty-six free throws in two games is no joke.

Butler is proud of the offseason work he put in with trainer Chris Johnson down in Houston. He should be.

"Jimmy Butler is playing great basketball," Thibodeau said. "He’s making big shots, guarding everyone, getting to the free throw line. Game’s on the line, making big plays for us."